Delivery box signaling device

ABSTRACT

A rural mailbox signaling device having a pair of signaling flags pivotally secured to the box so that movement of the box door from a closed to an opened position will lower one flag and raise the other flag to selected positions to notify the box owner when the box door has been operated.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Cromer H. Fishel Rte. 5, Clemmons,270l2 [2| Appl No 847,068 [22] Filed Aug. 4, 1969 {45] Patented June 22,I971 [54] DELIVERY BOX SIGNALING DEVICE I Claim, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl... 232/35 [51] Int. Cl A47g 29/12 [50] Field Search 232/35,34, 17

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I,060,659 5/1913 Ammann232/35 1,210,562 1/1917 Taylor '232/35 1,929,965 10/1933 Black....232/35 2,092,561 9/1937 Sandifur.... 232/35 2,480.469 8/1949 Horn 232/352,670,897 3/1954 Gagnon.. 232/35 3,013,715 12/1961 Ferenci.. 232/35,3,168,239 2/1965 Cooper... 232 35 3,331,552 7/1967 Shultz 232 35 PrimaryExaminer-Francis K. Zugel An0rneyCharles Y. Lackey ABSTRACT: A ruralmailbox signaling device having a pair of signaling flags pivotallysecured to the box so that movement of the box door from a closed to anopened position will lower one flag and raise the other flag to selectedpositions to notify the box owner when the box door has been operated.

DELIVERY BOX SIGNALING DEVICE BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVESOF THE INVENTION There have been many devices designed to indicate to arural mailbox owner that the postman has visited the premises to eitherpick up or deliver mail, and two of such devices are illustrated in U.S.Pat. Nos. 2,609,787 and 3,426,966. These patents are primarily directedto devices wherein the opening of the box door will release an attachedbut freely connected signaling member to notify the box owner that thepostman has either picked up or delivered mail.

While the patents referenced above disclosed devices which are quiteuseful in operation, there are some problems as, for example, in US.Pat. No. 2,609,787, wherein a particular positioning of the freelyfalling indicator because of its geometric construction will not bevisible to the box owner and thus provide any information. Additionally,the cylindrical indicator of US. Pat. No. 3,426,966 might be rathereasily detached from its connected position to the delivery box andtherefore would make the signaling device useless until replaced. Thisreplacement might be required at rather frequent intervals.

The present invention has been developed to overcome the disadvantagesreferenced above by providing a pair of pivotally connected indicatingflags which are also secured to the box door by means of flexibleconnectors so that inadver tent or deliberate displacement is unlikely.Because flags have definite colors and configqrations are are provided,there is no danger of not seeing the consistently positioned indicatorshowing that the mailman has visited the premises as was the case insome of the earlier issued patents.

Basically the present signaling device comprises a pair of indicatingflags pivotally secured at a common location to the side of the deliverybox and limited in pivotal movement between two stops positioned withinthe framework of the box. The lower ends of both of the signaling flagsare connected to the pivotally secured box door by means of flexibleconnectors such as small chains so that movement of the door from aclosed to a lowered and opened position will initiate movement of theflags in predetermined directions to indicate to the box owner that thebox door has been operated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a primary objective of thepresent invention is to provide a signaling device for a rural deliverymailbox that will indicate when the mailman has visited the premises bythe displacement of one indicating flag and the repositioning of asecond indicating flag.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a signaling devicefor delivery boxes wherein movement of the box door will actuate twosignaling flags between preselected limits to record operation of thebox door.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a signalingdevice of the type described which is constant in indicating operationso that a signal cannot be inadvertently obscured or overlooked by thebox owner.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a signalingdevice of the type described wherein the signaling components aresecured to the delivery box at a plurality of locations to preventinadvertent or deliberate disassociation of these components from thebox.

These and other objects of the present invention will become moreapparent from a consideration of the following detailed specificationtaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein likecharacters of reference designate like parts throughout the severalviews.

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rural mail deliverybox having a signaling device such as that disclosed herein attachedthereto.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational, sequentially illustrative view of thepositioning of the first andsecond signaling flags of the presentinvention secured "to a closed rural delivery box.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational, sequentially illustrative view of thedirectional movement of the first and second signaling flags as thedelivery box door is moved from a closed, upright position to a lowered,opened position.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational, sequentially illustrative view of thesignaling device comprising the present invention and an associateddelivery box wherein the box door has been lowered from a closed to anopened position, the first signaling flag has been moved from a raisedto a lowered position between predetermined limits, and the secondsignaling flag has raised from a lowered to upper position betweenpredetermined limits.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings andparticularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a rural mail delivery boxdesignated generally as 10 having a floor 12, sides 14 and a top 16. Thebox can be of any conventional or desired design, and that illustratedin FIG. 1 is similar to rural boxes which have been in consistent usefor a great number of years.

The delivery box 10 is normally closed by a pivotally connected door 18secured to the floor 12 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 1. While anynumber of closure arrangements are possible utilizing the presentinvention, that described and illustrated herein is preferred because ofits very reliable operation.

The signaling device shown generally as 20 comprising the presentinvention preferably embodies a first signaling flag 22 and a secondsignaling flag 24 both of which are coated or painted with differentcolors and both of which are pivotally secured through a stud 26 to oneof the sidewalls 14 of the box 10.

The signaling device is connected to the door 18 of the box 10 by meansof flexible connectors such as small chains 28 and 30 secured from thelower ends 32 and 34 of the signaling flags 22 and 24. There is a commonconnection of the chains 28 and 30 with the lower portion 38 of the door18.

Pivotal movement of the signaling flags 22 and 24 about stud 26 isrestricted by stops 40 and 42 affixed to the side 14 of the box 10 andoccurs as subsequently described.

In operation of the box, the signaling device 20 can be left as shown inFIG. 1 wherein both the signaling flags 22 and 24 are in the loweredposition against stop 42. This would indicate that the box owner has notplaced any mail for pickup in the box and has no interest in determiningwhether or not the mailman visits the premises unless there is adelivery of mail.

In the event the box owner desires to leave mail in the box for pickupby the mailman as he makes his rounds, the first indicating flag 22 israised to the position shown in FIG. 2 against stop 40 so that the boxowner is reminded that he has placed mail within the box and the mailmanis notified that he should stop to make a pickup. In this instance, thesecond signaling device 24 is in the lowered position against stop 42also as shown in FIG. 2.

When the mailman actuates the door 18 to move it downwardly to an openedposition (see FIG. 3), the flexible connectors 28 and 30 respond tomovement of the door 18 and lower the first signaling flag 22 and raisethe second signaling flag 24 as shown in FIG. 3. The common junction 36of the two flexible connectors 28 and 30 to the door 18 simplifyconstruction and this operation.

When the lowering operation has been completed, the second signalingflag 24 rests against stop 40 and the first signaling flag 22 is loweredagainst stop 42 all as is shown in FIG. 4. Now, there has been a changeof flag colors by the operation of the box door 18 in the mannerdescribed. Repositioning of the door to a closed position will notaffect the last alignment and arrangement of the respective signalingflags.

Thus there has been illustrated one embodiment of a signaling device fora rural mail delivery box embodying a plurality of signaling flags whichare responsive to movement of the box door. Obviously, manymodifications and alterations may be made in the device constituting thepresent invention without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof.Such modifications and alterations in the signaling flags, flexibleconnectors, stops and other phases of the present invented concept arecontemplated, and it is intended that the invention be limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use with a rural mail delivery box having a floor, sides and atop forming a closure, and a door pivotally connected to said floor andmoveable from a closed to an open position and back again, a signalingdevice comprising: a first signal flag secured to one of said box sides;a second signal flag secured to said box side; first means connectingsaid first flag to the door; second means connecting said second flag tothe door; means restricting movement between upper and lower limits ofsaid first and second signal flags whereby pivotally lowering andopening the door causes said first means to move said first signal flagfrom upper to lower limits and causes said second means to move saidsecond signal flag from lower to upper limits to indicate 'operation ofthe delivery box door, said signaling flags pivotally secured to one ofsaid sides, said first and second connecting means including flexibleconnectors extending from one end of said flags to the door andresponding to movement of the door from upper to lower limits, saidfirst signal flag painted in a first color and said second signal flagpainted in a second differing color, and said connectors being commonlyjoined at the connection with the door and said signaling flags beingcommonly secured to one of said sides.

1. For use with a rural mail delivery box having a floor, sides and atop forming a closure, and a door pivotally connected to said floor andmoveable from a closed to an open position and back again, a signalingdevice comprising: a first signal flag secured to one of said box sides;a second signal flag secured to said box side; first means connectingsaid first flag to the door; second means connecting said second flag tothe door; means restricting movement between upper and lower limits ofsaid first and second signal flags whereby pivotally lowering andopening the door causes said first means to move said first signal flagfrom upper to lower limits and causes said second means to move saidsecond signal flag from lower to upper limits to indicate operation ofthe delivery box door, said signaling flags pivotally secured to one ofsaid sides, said first and second connecting means including flexibleconnectors extending from one end of said flags to the door andresponding to movement of the door from upper to lower limits, saidfirst signal flag painted in a first color and said second signal flagpainted in a second differing color, and said connectors being commonlyjoined at the connection with the door and said signaling flags beingcommonly secured to one of said sides.